Washington Quarter Question for anyone?? Craig, Mitch, Tom, David...help??
marcalan84
Posts: 310
I have tried upgrading my 1934-D PCGS MS64 Wash. Quarter 3 times now. It hasn't upgraded...and this time I can't even add it back to my set?? Why you ask? Well.....I don't have the coin back yet...but apparently they added/attributed a designation/variety to it that I did not request (hell...I didn't even know about it). They are giving it the "Heavy Motto" variety designation according to my online grades. Now I don't have a 100% complete set....as I guess I am lacking the 34-D...because the basic set won't allow me to use this coin now. My question is: What is it worth?? It doesn't exist in the PCGS price guide? Is it worth more with this designatin because the pops are much lower? Does anyone care about this variety?? Do I keep it?? or sell it..so I can buy a replacement 34-D to re-finish my set that I thought was done?? I tried calling Bob Zurich to inquire about it (also because I purchased the coin from him in July 2003)...but he isn't answering his phone. I know he had a stroke some months ago...but thought he was doing better. Wouldn't he have been aware of this variety??..or is this a relatively new designation for PCGS?? Thanks for any/all information.
Marc Sickles
Marc Sickles
Marc
0
Comments
It was only a few months ago that the Heavy Motto variety for the '34 and the '34-D got much publicity, even though it's been around, and is mentioned in Breen. While the Light Motto variety has been attributed for years, PCGS only started to atrtribute the Heavy Motto. (Coincidentally, I have my '34-D Heavy Motto in for attribution).
I don't have all the facts, but my understanding is that the Heavy Motto is a relatively rare variety. Breen wrote that "at the beginning of the production year, the mint continued to use the obverse hubs from the 1932 quarters. By 1934, it was apparent that the Light Motto 'In God We Trust' would not hold up in circulation, and was even very difficult to read on Very Fine specimens, so a mere 500,000 were produced. The Philadelphia Mint went on to produce 28,500,000 Medium Motto coins (Motto of 1935), and a mere 3.4 Million Heavy Motto coins at the end of the rpoduction year. Very few of these were saved, as the 'roll savers' had already put away their uncirculated coins for the year."
I suspect you'll do well to have a high-grade, good looking Heavy Motto specimen in your colleciton.
However, that is really too bad that PCGS made the attribution, and that the result is you won't be able to put it in your Registry Set (although the Washington w/Varieties Set will accept it). Since they are attributing it now and didn't before, though, the story will be the same for all 34 and 34-D submissions hereafter, as I understand it.
Here's a warning parable for coin collectors...
Apropos of the coin posse/aka caca: "The longer he spoke of his honor, the tighter I held to my purse."
PCGS elected to not require all (3) Mottos in its basic set. If it had, I suspect some collectors would have complained that they were being burdened with having to buy additional coins for 1934 instead of just the (2) coins. Obviously, any coin coming in to PCGS now will be identified as regular, heavy or light motto with the heavy motto 34(d) only fitting into the variety set as I recall.
From my personal experience, both of the 34(d) types are readily available and garner virtually no premium whatsoever (this is not the case for the 34(p) Heavy motto which often garners a strong premium for gem and higher quality coins). Perhaps this might not be exactly the case in the grade of MS67 where someone working towards a top set may need to pay a bit extra in the future to capture what could be a pop 1 coin of either type (since there are only (3) MS67 34(d) coins at this point- obviously one of the types must be pop 0 or 1 at this time).
If you have no interest in a variety set, you may want to consider selling the "PQ" 34(d) you now own and buying the type permitted in the basic set.
Wondercoin
Sorry I didn't give you and Tom credit for getting Hall to attribute the Heavy Motto. I'd forgotten that, but remembered it when you mentioned it here
Nice work!
Here's a warning parable for coin collectors...
Ran into the same problem with the 34DHM i aquired for my set last week.
Sent an email to BJ Searls and she said it will be corrected later this year when they update the software at Pcgs.
I wouldn't be in a big hurry to get rid of the one you have unless you want to send it to me.
Good Luck,
Dave
Thanks.
And, if PCGS will accept any typ of motto later this year in the basic set - even better for collectors.
Wondercoin